The days of 'below stairs', household staff, scullery maids, skivvies and charwomen
are long gone. But large numbers of us still employ domestic help of some kind, be it a weekly
cleaner, an occasional gardener, an
au pair, or even a
live-in nanny. In most cases we have
recourse to domestic help because we simply do not have time to do the tasks ourselves - we work long hours, travel daunting distances, ferry our children about, as well as packing in sport, exercise, socialising, shopping. There just aren't enough hours in the day…
But for many of us, domestic help - while absolutely vital to our wellbeing - is seen as an embarrassment, something to apologise for. This attitude can distort our relationship with domestic employees; we tidy up the house before the cleaner arrives,
get drunk with the nanny, spend the afternoon drinking tea
with the gardener.
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